Categories
Funny

Maz Jobrani on Kuwait

This is a short comedy bit on Kuwait by the comedian Maz Jobrani who is part of the “Axis of Evil” comedy group. The clip is from 2020 and Maz was in Kuwait in 2019 so it’s not new, but I only heard it recently. The bit starts at around the minute mark and is about how he was censored when he came to Kuwait. Really funny.

Thanks Ola366




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Below is this weekend’s list of events. If I missed anything let me know!

Thursday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Exhibition: “Creatures Floating in Absurdity” by Mohamad Omran
Show: Arms & The Man
Ramadan Food & Household Exhibition
Matcha Matcha
Treasure Hunt at ASCC
Kids Workshop: World of Bugs
Alzay Fashion Design Exhibition
Kuwait Motor Show
IAME Karting Series – The Final Rounds

Friday
Albohayra Farm
DAI Story Time x Ahmadi Music Group Present Peter & the Wolf
Show: Arms & The Man
Ramadan Food & Household Exhibition
Matcha Matcha
Kuwait Motor Show
IAME Karting Series – The Final Rounds

Saturday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Grand Mosque Tour
Albohayra Farm
Be The Change. Sustainable Lifestyle Exhibit
Ramadan Food & Household Exhibition
Matcha Matcha
Miseen Scene: Ran
Bagels for Brunch
Spanish Night
Cycling at KMT
Kuwait Motor Show
IAME Karting Series – The Final Rounds




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

This is the busiest weekend of the season so far. Lots of events taking place from markets to concerts to pop-ups. Check the list out below and as usual if I missed anything let me know.

Thursday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Exhibition: Backpacking Through Yemen in Times of Peace
Exhibition: “Creatures Floating in Absurdity” by Mohamad Omran
Exhibition: Graduation Ceremony by Aseel AlYaqoub
Treasure Hunt at ASCC
Palastinian Culture Exhibition
Let’s Roll! Pop-Up by THRF
Kuwait Street Food Festival
AMG Concert: Vivaldi Night
Matcha Makes the World Go Round
FIA Middle East Rally Championship

Friday
Albohayra Farm
Return of the Improvengers!
Ali Alghanim & Sons – Padel Tournament
Gulf Bank Off Road Challenge
Kuwait Kites Team
Bazar Francophonie
Palastinian Culture Exhibition
Let’s Roll! Pop-Up by THRF
Kuwait Street Food Festival
AMG Concert: Vivaldi Night
FIA Middle East Rally Championship
Super Run at KMT

Saturday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Exhibition: Backpacking Through Yemen in Times of Peace
Grand Mosque Tour
Albohayra Farm
Private Tour with Amira Behbehani
Let’s Roll! Pop-Up by THRF
Kuwait Street Food Festival
Basta Mother – Child Volunteering Event
FIA Middle East Rally Championship
Curated Cars and Coffee
Trash Hero Desert Cleanup




Categories
Music

New Music: Galaxy Juice – Ya Salwa

The local band Galaxy Juice recently released a new music video for their track “Ya Salwa” from their latest album “Galaxy Juice and the Forty Thieves”. Playing this song live in Riyadh at the MDLBEAST Soundstorm Festival and seeing the crowd’s reaction was one of the main reasons they started to sing in Arabic. It’s a pretty fun track and music video so check it out.

The music video and animation was done by Agrentinian based Marina Di Milta (@marinadimilta).

If you want to listen to their full album, it’s available to stream on: Spotify, Anghami and Apple Music.

You can also follow Galaxy Juice on Instagram @galaxyjuiceband




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Another slow weekend of events so in case you can’t find anything below to do, you could always visit one of the museums.

Thursday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Exhibition: Backpacking Through Yemen in Times of Peace
KASA Expo 2022
Life Drawing Workshop

Friday
Albohayra Farm
KASA Expo 2022
Kuwait Textile Arts Association Spring Bazaar

Saturday
Exhibition: Seeking Refuge by Amira Behbehani
Exhibition: Backpacking Through Yemen in Times of Peace
Albohayra Farm
Women’s Sports Day
Miseen Scene: The Circle
KASA Expo 2022
Sons of Sinbad Excursion

If I missed anything let me know.




Categories
Automotive

Whats the 5th Ring Road Construction for?

If you’ve driven on the 5th Ring Road recently you might have noticed all the construction work and diversions taking place near Qurtoba and Siddiq. The reason behind it is they’re currently working on a major traffic reducing project that will be composed of tunnels, underpasses and bridges on two levels. The new project will remove a bunch of traffic lights at the current intersections to help eliminate the traffic they cause as well as create a traffic-free ride from the 5th Ring Road to the new Sheikh Jaber Hospital.

To get a better idea of how the project will look like, you can watch the 3D presentation below taken from the project website RA257.

Thanks hussamaboud




Categories
Commercials

Kuwait’s Good Jealousy

I haven’t posted a commercial on here in a long time but this new one by Ooredoo is pretty great and on point.




Categories
50s to 90s Kuwait Photography

Kuwait National Day Parade Photos 1975-77

I’ve had these photos in my archive for a couple of years now, I forgot where I got them from but I guess it’s about time to share them. Some of the photos are really great but I’m not 100% positive about the date of the photos.

They’re a mixture of photos ranging from 1975 to 1977. I think 1977 because in one of the photos you can see the Kuwait Towers in the background and it looks like construction on it was completed, but that only happened in 1977. But in other photos, you can see the dates 1975 and 1976 so it’s a mix.

No matter the dates the photos are really great and with all the silly drama with yoga taking place now, vintage photos like these are now more important than ever to share. You can view and download them all in hi-res by clicking here.

In addition to the photos, there is also a video taken from the AP archive showing the 1975 parade. Usually, I’d say bring back the parades but even if we did, I don’t think it would ever be the same. Kuwait was so different back then.




Categories
Television

Shows to Binge Watch this Holiday

A lot of people are traveling this holiday now that PCR tests are no longer needed but if you’re staying put and are looking for some shows to watch, here are a few I recently finished watching:

Euphoria
I already posted about Euphoria last year but season 2 is out now and somehow they’ve managed to make the show even better. Season 2 Episode 3 is probably one of my favorite top 10 episodes from any show of all time and the whole series is a must-watch. If you find yoga offensive, skip this show. Euphoria is on HBO Max.

The Shrink Next Door
I didn’t really like this show that much but I’m putting it here since when I was stuck at home with Covid I killed a lot of time by binge-watching this series. The Shrink Next Door stars Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd and is based on a true story. It’s available to stream on AppleTV+

The Book of Boba Fett
Is it me or are the shows based on the Star Wars movies actually better than the movies themselves? First, it was The Mandalorian and now The Book of Boba Fett. Even if you’ve never watched any of the Star Wars film you’ll still really enjoy this series as long as you’re into scifi. You’re going to need Disney+ to watch it though.

And Just Like That…
Quick confession, I was always a huge fan of Sex and the City but mostly because of the character Mr. Big played by Chris Noth. And Just Like That… surprisingly was fun to watch, not too cringy and somehow relatable. The girls have all grown up, they have families now and we get to watch them adulting while they also try to be their old selves. This show is streaming on HBO Max.

City on a Hill
If you’re a fan of detective shows like The Wire, you’ll enjoy this a lot. The first season was better than the second season but was still good to watch. City on a Hill is produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon while starring Kevin Bacon in one of his best roles yet. If you’re my age you’ll also recognize a bunch of actors from old shows like Rescue Me, The Sopranos, and of course, The Wire. Really easy to binge watch and it’s also streaming on HBO Max.

Dexter: New Blood
As a huge fan of Dexter, I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this reboot but I just finished it last night, and shit, that was a pretty great series. Except for the last episode that is. No spoilers but I didn’t think it made sense, and going by the reviews online it seems nobody else liked the last episode either. To watch Dexter: New Blood you need to subscribe to Showtime.

If you don’t know how to stream the shows, it’s pretty simple. You need to sign up to a smart DNS service first (easier than a VPN). I use Smart DNS Proxy (affiliate link) and they have step by step guides on how to set it up on your system (I use Apple TV). I then subscribe to all the networks through my Apple TV using my US Apple account.




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Quite a few things to do this weekend. Today is the last day of the GCC Camel Racing Tournament but there is also a market taking place at Murouj. Friday is a bit slow but if you’re at the chalet then you have The Hype by Drive In taking place at Bnaider 264. Saturday is the busiest day with a Poetry & Jam Night taking place as well a few other interesting events that day including Yoga Not in the Desert. Check out the full list below and if I missed anything, let me know:

Thursday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Elements – Sculptures from CAPs Private Collection
BBT Picnic
GCC Camel Racing Tournament (Schedule)
Visit the Liberation Tower
Al Souq Exhibition at Murouj
The Avenues Sky
Take me to Paris
The Hype at Bnaider 264

Friday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
BBT Picnic
Visit the Liberation Tower
Albohayra Farm
The Avenues Sky
The Hype at Bnaider 264
Road Rush
Curated Cars & Coffee

Saturday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Elements – Sculptures from CAPs Private Collection
Grand Mosque Tour
BBT Picnic
Visit the Liberation Tower
Albohayra Farm
Sailing: Saturday Sunset Cruising
The Avenues Sky
Mubarakia Market Walk
CPES Hackathon at Shaheed Park
Sailors Knots Yacht Trip
Interactive Children Book Reading at Assima Mall
Anti Bullying Workshop with Horses
Poetry & Jam Night
Yoga Not in the Desert
Pomeranian Meetup




Categories
Information

Spot the Space Station in Kuwait

Over the next days, you’ll be able to spot the international space station from within Kuwait during certain periods like tonight at 6:03 PM. The sightings usually occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset since that is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

Based on photos online it looks like it should be really easy to spot without requiring a telescope, but the space station will only be visible for a few minutes per sighting so you need to be quick to catch it.

If you want to try and see it yourself, check out the sighting schedule.

Thanks Nibaq




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

This Saturday is the start of the GCC Camel Racing Tournament so if you’ve ever wanted to visit the camel races, then this is the weekend to do so. Below are all the other events I managed to find for this weekend and as usual, if I’ve missed anything, let me know in the comments.

Thursday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Elements – Sculptures from CAPs Private Collection
BBT Picnic
Al Ameed Coffee Padel Tournament 2022
The Avenues Under the Sky
V-Fit 2.0 at Shaheed Park

Friday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
BBT Picnic
Albohayra Farm
Born Primitive Rodent Trail Series: Day & Night
Trip: Into The Stars
The Avenues Under the Sky
Porsche Club Festival at KMT

Saturday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Elements – Sculptures from CAPs Private Collection
Grand Mosque Tour
BBT Picnic
Albohayra Farm
Sailing: Saturday Sunset Cruising
The Avenues Under the Sky
GCC Camel Racing Tournament
Q8 Hotrod Club Meetup
Old Cars Meetup




Categories
Photography Reviews Videos

Review: DJI Mini 2 Drone

It’s been a year now since the DJI Mini 2 got launched but I just got mine a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been wanting the DJI Mini 2 ever since it was released so a few weeks ago I got in touch with Xcite and asked them if I could get one to review. I’m not a drone expert so this review is directed at other people like me, beginners basically. The Mini 2 shoots in 4K, is pretty tiny, and it’s also really light weighing just 249g. If you want more detailed specs of the Mini 2 there are tons of videos on YouTube that do just that. Instead, I’m going to give you my opinion on why I think this is the best drone a beginner can get right now.

Full disclosure, I have a long-standing relationship with Xcite who provided me with this drone. They’ve been very supportive of the blog from the very early days and they’ve lent or given me a number of items over the years to review, as well as hooking me up with discounts. I’m a huge Xcite fan.

I’m not sure where to start this review since I’m really excited about the drone, and I wasn’t expecting to be. If you’ve never owned a drone before it can be a bit intimidating at first and even if you have had a drone before, maybe a basic one like the original Mini 1 or the Spark, then flying probably still intimidates because of certain limitations like the battery life and connection issues. At least those were the two things that kept me from flying my drone often and both those things no longer are an issue with the Mini 2.

The last drone I had was the DJI Spark which was pretty good but most of the time I’d have connection issues once it got to a certain height, distance or if I was flying in an area like Salmiya which caused a lot of interference. It was freaky because I didn’t want to lose the drone and it made me a lot more cautious whenever I wanted to take it out. The DJI Mini 2 on the other hand uses a different connection technology called OcuSync and I think this is my favorite new feature. I haven’t had a single situation, not even for a second where I had a connection problem. I’ve flown it out far and as high as it can get and haven’t had a signal drop or even a low signal warning. It’s made flying the drone so much more enjoyable and it’s given me much more confidence.

The other feature I’ve been loving on the Mini 2 is the battery life which now lasts up to 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time which is great cuz I always felt so rushed with the Spark which only had around 15 minutes of battery life. Last week I headed out to Sulaibikhat to film the flamingos and I actually spent a lot of time just hovering my drone low near the water just watching them on my screen. It would take around 5 minutes to reach them since I was parked pretty far from their location and another 5 minutes to get back but with that, I still had around 20 minutes left of just pure stalking time. It’s enough time to get completely immersed and zoned out, I literally spent all my time just watching flamingos catch their food and eat as if I had my own private National Geographic channel. Whenever the battery was going to die the drone would just let me know and then start flying back to me. Really easy.

OcuSync and the battery life together have made me want to take out the drone more often and not have to worry about anything which is why I think it’s the perfect beginner’s drone. I can just focus on shooting and not worry about the other things. When the weather was misty this past weekend I just parked next to the Kuwait Towers and casually took the drone out to see if I can capture the towers coming out through the fog. It’s such an easy thing to do now and it’s because I’m no longer worried about flying the drone. After reaching a height taller than the towers I realized the fog was too high and had completely engulfed it, so I decided instead to fly towards the city to see if I could capture Hamra Tower. I didn’t end up getting a good shot but just the fact that I was able to on a whim head into the city with my drone is something I’d never have done with the Spark.

The DJI Mini 2 is really everything I’ve wanted into a drone. Something small, light, have a long battery life, and no connection issues. It’s made me want to fly the drone much more and given me the confidence to do so. If you want to get into drone photography, this has to be the best drone to start off with. I got the DJI Mini 2 “Fly More Combo” pack which comes with three batteries, a charging hub, extra propellers, and even a nice carrying case. The price of the full package is 175KD and you can get one from Xcite.




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Its a slow weekend but that’s to be expected. Check out this weekends events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Modern Architecture in Kuwait 1949-1989
Exhibition: Saad Hamdan – The Spirit of Ceramics
Exhibition: The Private Collection of Mahsa Azimi
Exhibition: Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi – The Sound of Silence
Exhibition: Abduljalil Al Shareefi – Nostalgia
Exhibition: Fadi Yazigi
Exhibition: Different Stories Same Artist
Music: PARIS 1960 by OMRANI’nd the crew
Kuwait Street Food

Friday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Modern Architecture in Kuwait 1949-1989
Exhibition: Different Stories Same Artist
Exhibition: Clark Stoeckley
BBT Picnic
Albohayra Farm
Hill-Top Geological Camp
Camping 101
Sailing: Friday Sunset Cruising
Kuwait Street Food

Saturday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Saad Hamdan – The Spirit of Ceramics
Exhibition: The Private Collection of Mahsa Azimi
Exhibition: Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi – The Sound of Silence
Exhibition: Abduljalil Al Shareefi – Nostalgia
Exhibition: Different Stories Same Artist
Exhibition: Clark Stoeckley
Grand Mosque Tour
Treasure Hunt in Al Shaheed Park
BBT Picnic
Albohayra Farm
Miseen Scene Club: Night Train to Lisbon
Kuwait Street Food

As usual, if I’ve missed an event, let me know in the comments.




Categories
Interesting News

Forbes Highlights Kuwait’s Yarmouk Park

Forbes Middle East posted about Yarmouk Park few days ago. Yarmouk Park is recognized as being the first environmentally friendly park based on recycled materials and waste. If you haven’t been to the park before you can check out some more photos of is @forbesmiddleeast